I’m looking at the sheep God. Are you really a shepherd?
I can’t see the shepherd. Is the shepherd really there?
The sheep seem to be happy, content.
They don’t seem to be lacking at all. But I can’t see the shepherd.
Some are lying down, but most are standing up, but they seem happy.
They are safe, they are fed, they are free from danger, but I can’t see the shepherd.
Even though I can’t see the shepherd, they must be there.
Feeding the sheep, caring for them, looking after them.
Does the shepherd spend much time with the sheep? I don’t know.
What about me God? Are you there? I can’t see you at the moment. Are you there?
I’m fed, I’m watered. I have plenty to eat, but are you there?
I can’t see you.
You must be there. If you weren’t there, what difference would it make?
Would I be fed? Would I be warm? Would I be safe? Probably not.
You are there, God. Just because I can’t see you doesn’t mean you are not there.
Thank you for being my shepherd.

Loving God, we rejoice in the signs of your presence in the world:
for every child who has a home, we praise and thank you God;
for every war that has an end, we praise and thank you God;
for every wound that has been healed, we praise and thank you God;
for every debt that is no more, we praise and thank you God.
And for the dawning of hope for all people, we pray:
where there is hunger and there is need, your kingdom come, O Lord;
where there are walls and barriers of hate, your kingdom come, O Lord;
where the poor pay the price, and the rich take the profit, your kingdom come, O Lord;
and where the earth lies wasted, and the skies are polluted, your kingdom come, O Lord.
Amen.

Lord, send us out.
Send us out from our buildings, full of history and comfort and meaning, and lead us into your world as your disciples where the story is still being written.
Send us out with our hearts full of love and concern and fear and hope, and lead us into your heart for this blessed and beautiful world where the story is still being written.
Continue to bless places for lonely people to gather; soup lunches and warm spaces; moves and renovations; missions and prayer gatherings; and all the ways we seek to move from where we are to where you want us to be.
Lord, send us out. And remind us – remind me – that the story is still being written. Amen.

Mary sings, “My soul magnifies the Lord”.
But how can I make God greater?
Lord of life, in the way I live, move and inhabit my being,
mirror in me your extravagant love and expansive goodness.
Enlarge my soul: to bear witness to human destruction, riven by unspeakable violence.
Enlarge my soul: to rail against relentless consumption, upending the gentle balance of the earth.
Enlarge my soul: to speak out against power-seeking policies, indifferent to hunger and dismissive of need.
May my spirit dance to the intricately woven melody of prayer, praise and protest.
Be ever greater within me, that my soul may magnify the Lord forever. Amen.

Teach us, Lord, to seek your face in those who think they are faceless; your word among those who are voiceless; and your transforming presence among those who feel powerless. Draw us to yourself that we may be active contemplatives in the heart of your world, discovering afresh the presence of Jesus wherever it is disguised and honouring you in the face of the neighbour, the lowly appearance of bread and wine, and the walk of daily service, that we might follow where you lead and respond with warmed hearts and active hands. Amen.

Inspired by Mother Teresa of Calcutta and Karl Rahner

Let us praise God,
who summons us to live as people of hope,
who lifts us when our hearts are weary,
and raises our eyes, restoring our vision,
to see a new heaven, a new earth,
which breaks in where we least expect it;
inviting us, beyond imagining,
to involvement in making real God’s purposes of justice, righteousness and peace.
Let us praise God,
who leads us beyond death, to life in all its fullness,
not for our sakes, but for the sake of others;
that by God’s Spirit we live with courage, compassion and commitment;
so we might be agents of change, sharing the gospel of truth and love,
as we join with God’s work in the world.

God of infinite wonder, whose love has no horizon and whose grace has no border, we open ourselves to your presence this day.
God of the minutiae, in whose company ‘insignificant’ has no meaning, we receive your blessings this day.
Raise our eyes from only that which is in front of us.
Lift our heads, that our vision may be broader and longer.
Sow seeds of passion in our hearts
and lay embers of hope in our lives
that we may never accept the concept of inevitable,
but instead cultivate communities of peace that live a language of possibility.

Loving God, help me feel connected to you so that you may use me where you have placed me. Help me draw close enough that I may see with your eyes, hear with your ears and think with your mind, because you are a just God and justice is a part of loving. Let me support victims who aren’t recognised and people excluded from the accepted circle. Enable me to help people who are suffering because others seek to increase their wealth. Empower me to advocate for children who cannot fulfil their potential or for those whose voices aren’t heard. Bring me out from my comfort zone. Stop me just acting in my own interests. Let me do right! Amen.

Invitational God, we celebrate the times when we know we are in the right place at the right time.
Thank you for your presence, sometimes quiet and sometimes noisy.
Help us to know the difference between doing lots of things to make us feel of value, and fullness of life.
Incarnational God, thank you for standing alongside us when we don’t know where we are meant to be or what we are meant to do.
Help us to discern what is of you, and what is a distraction.
May your kingdom come. Amen.

Dduw cyfiawnder,
agor ein clustiau er mwyn i ni glywed fel yr wyt ti’n clywed,
agor ein calonnau er mwyn i ni ofalu fel yr wyt ti’n gofalu,
agor ein gwefusau er mwyn i siarad fel yr wyt ti’n siarad,
er mwyn i ni gynnig ein lleisiau
ar ran y rhai sydd wedi cael eu distewi,
beth bynnag eu hiaith, gwlad neu gyflwr,
ac felly gwneler dy ewyllys,
megis yn y nef felly ar y ddaear hefyd. Amen.

God of justice,
open our ears to hear as you do,
open our hearts to care as you do,
open our lips to speak as you do,
that we may offer our voices
for those who are silenced,
whatever their language, land or lot,
and so may your will be done,
on earth as in heaven. Amen.